Tabaxi (Catfolk)
__TOC__ A race of furred, cat-like humanoids, the tabaxi (lit: “the children of tabax”) hail from a vast island archipelago in the middle of the Sapphire Sea. Having made contact with the other races of Chimyrr over the last few centuries, the tabaxi have been exploring the lands across the seas from their homeland archipelago, sending exploratory, diplomatic and colony missions to extend the reach of the empire. The tabaxi are a caste-based, highly stratified empire (Tabax’tilac), ruled by the clergy of Tabax - the tabaxi incarnation of the sun god Galir. Living on an archipelago consisting of hundreds of islands, the tabaxi inhabit a wide range of terrains - from the low-lying savannahs of the outer isles, the sky-piercing mountains and volcanos of the archipelago centre, and the dense jungles and swamps covering the majority of the islands. These different biomes helped divide the tabaxi into natural subgroups, which then became the basis of the castes of the Tabax’tilac empire. Both the name of the archipelago and the tabaxi empire, Tabaxi’tilac came into being over the course of many centuries. After millennia of individual tabaxi tribes going about life independent of their neighbours, a tribe of jungle dwellers came to prominence under the leadership of a cleric of the sun god. Progressively subjugating and subsuming its neighbours, this tribe grew over the decades and centuries that followed, until at last the entirety of the archipelago was under the rule of the Tabax’tilac empire. By then the islands were home to massive stone temple cities, floating marsh and river settlements, and vast savannah farmlands. Looking outward, the empire began putting together colony missions, and exploring the reaches of the Sapphire Sea. Physical Description Tabaxi stand the same height and build as most humans, yet are differentiated by their feline features. All tabaxi are covered in a short coat of fine hair, have wide feline eyes, pointed ears, and an expressive tail. Many tabaxi have feline whiskers, and all have retractable claws instead of nails at the end of their padded fingers. The appearance and colouration of an individual tabaxi often gives insight into which caste they were born into - it is rare for tabaxi to change caste over the course of their lives. Those tabaxi with sandy yellow colouration, sometimes with black stripes, hail from the low-lying savannah islands of Tabax’tilac. Tabaxi of the jungles are coloured golden with black spots, or with entirely jet black fur. Those from the high mountains and cloud forests have fur in greys and tans, and occasionally dusky whites with spots. Society Tabaxi society is a theocratic empire, having brought together the disparate tribes of tabaxi living in their archipelago homeland under a single rule. The clergy of the god Tabax - the sun god Galir - rule the empire, with the most senior priests directing the operation and direction of the empire and with almost all position of power claimed by other Tabax clergy. The empire is based on a very strict race-based caste system, where the group you are born into effectively determines your path, as set out by the teachings of Tabax. At the top of the hierarchy are the priests, those born of the jungles with gold and spotted fur. The priests are inducted into the churches of Tabax and other tabaxi gods as their skill merits, either staying within the clergy or leaving for positions of power through the empire. The second tier are the soldiers, those born with the completely black fur of the jungle nights. Inducted into the military from childhood, the soldier caste provides the tabaxi military, police force, and inquisitions. The tabaxi from the mountains and cloud forests are brought up as “specialists” - they are those who are given set roles to fill, often those with a requirement for a degree of independence. The cloud caste provides the tabaxi with merchants, diplomats and clerks, scouts and rangers, and recently arcane casters. Finally, there is the savannah caste, those tabaxi whose heritage come from the grassland isles of the outer archipelago. The lowest rung, these yellow and striped furred tabaxi are the workers and labourers, those who perform the menial services required to keep the empire running. Finally, there are those who are casteless - those who have been expelled, or left of their own accord. Most common in the lands of the other races, these tabaxi are those who for whatever reason did not fit within the rigid structure of the Tabax’tilac empire, and have struck out on their own to make their own life, often amongst members of the other races. Relations Most races have only encountered the tabaxi within the last few hundred years, due to the colony missions that were sent out across the sea once the empire had fully tamed Tabax’tilac. With a dearth of history to influence relationships, most interracial interaction with the tabaxi are coloured only by local occurrences. As the majority of the tabaxi colony missions were sent under the auspices of peaceful interaction with those they met, most view the tabaxi with guarded acceptance. As the two most prolific surface dwelling races, it has been the humans and the trolls who have interacted with the tabaxi the most. Humans more often than not simply see the tabaxi as a new source of trade, and interactions have mostly been benign. Due to the isolationist nature of the trollish kingdoms, the tabaxi have been met with colder reception from the greenskins. While there has be comparatively little major interaction between the tabaxi and the Old races, the general attitude is one of respect. Indeed, not having native traditions of disciplines such as the arcane arts or monastic orders, the tabaxi have gone to great lengths to catch up as quickly as they can, with the help of dwarves, elves and gnomes. Alignment and Religion A society of castes and rigid hierarchy, the majority of the tabaxi population have Chaotic alignments. Those who cannot or will not conform to their role within tabaxi society are exiled, re-educated, or sentenced to penal industries. As a theocratic society, religion plays a very important role to the tabaxi. The tabaxi pantheon is a reimagining of a selection of gods, viewed as incarnations of animal-headed tabaxi. The god Tabax sits at the head of this pantheon - an aspect of the sun god Galir. All tabaxi view Tabax as the most important god of the pantheon, while the other incarnations of the gods are given their due as required. Adventurers Tabaxi adventurers come from two main groups - those travelling the land at the behest of their caste and superiors, and those iconoclasts who do not fit into the rigid structure of tabaxi society and strike out on their own. Those still operating within the tabaxi hierarchy are those who display the necessary independent thinking to operate outside of tabaxi society, but also the loyalty to remain faithful to the empire without oversight. In contrast, the rebels who leave the tabaxi are those who for whatever reason chafe under the yoke of the rigid castes, and seek to make their own life amongst the other races of Chimyrr. Racial Modification * Ability Score Racial Traits: Tabaxi gain +2 Dex and +1Cha. * Type: Tabaxi are humanoids with the catfolk subtype. * Size: Tabaxi are Medium creatures and thus receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size. * Speed: Tabaxi have a base speed of 30 feet. * Languages: Tabaxi begin play speaking Common and Tabaxi. Tabaxi with high intelligence scores can choose from the following: Elven, Gnoll, Gnome, Halfling, Sylvan, or Troll. * Cat's Luck: Once per day, when a tabaxi makes a Reflex saving throw, it can roll the saving throw twice and take the better result. It must decide to use this ability before attempting the saving throw. * Skill Bonus: Tabaxi have a +2 racial bonus on Perception, Stealth, and Survival checks. * Sprinter: Tabaxi gain a +10 foot racial bonus to their speed when using the charge, run, or withdraw actions. * Low-Light Vision: Tabaxi can see twice as far as a race with normal vision in conditions of dim light. Classes Alchemist: As with the formalised study of arcane magic that is wizardry, the science of alchemy was unknown in Tabax’tilac until the exploration and colony missions started reporting back to the homeland with news of the other races and their abilities. Alchemists are similar to wizards, in that most are cloud caste students who have studied at the recently constructed tabaxi universities. Barbarian: While the tabaxi do not have tribes of savages left any more, the traditions of rage and bloodlust in combat have been kept. Taught to a small number of soldier caste tabaxi, these tabaxi often become members of elite skirmishers or shock troops in the military, or attached to foreign missions where both their martial prowess and survivability are valuable. Bard: The entertainers and lore-keepers of Tabax’tilac, the tabaxi bards come from the cloud and savannah castes who show charisma and aptitude for music and tale. Often supplementing more traditional historians, the bards use their drums, wind instruments and dance to entertain the populace and as a source of tabaxi history and legend. Some bards join the military or foreign missions to lend their knowledge and abilities to more dangerous pursuits. Cavalier: Native tabaxi cavaliers have been all but unknown in the archipelago. Upon making contact with the other races, a number of tabaxi from the exploratory missions went to live with those they met - some at the behest of their leaders, some to escape. Those tabaxi who join the elven or human orders of cavaliers are almost universally from that background - but a number return to Tabax’tilac, bringing with them the skills and traditions of their orders. Utilising imported horses or native great cats, tabaxi cavaliers now are often used in support of the military. Cleric: The top tier of tabaxi society are the clerics. Powerful and respected, the clerics of the tabaxi worship Tabax and the other tabaxi incarnations of the gods, and fill almost every position of power in the empire. While the majority enjoy largely safe, sedentary lives, there are those clerics who take a more active role, leading expeditions, joining the military, or participating in projects more to their liking. Rarely, those from the lower castes will show an aptitude for divine magic - those who do generally become elemental clerics, using their clerical powers to assist the castes and duties of their origin. Druid: Though the highest respect goes to those tabaxi in the organised churches, coming from an island nation means there is great reverence for connection to the land. Those from the priest caste or cloud caste which show great connection and reverence for nature are often allowed to leave the cities and settlements of Tabax’tilac to live in the remaining wilds, guarding them from harm. While the majority of tabaxi druids come from the jungles and mountains, some lay claim to tracts of swamp, savannah or the shallow seas between the islands. As the tabaxi colonies establish themselves in lands far from their homeland, some tabaxi hear the call of nature and become druids in their adopted homes. Fighter: The tabaxi employ a large standing army, consisting of almost the entirety of the black furred soldier caste. These tabaxi join the military from childhood, being brought up in the barracks. Tabaxi fighters comprise the empire’s army, the city guard, protection for the exploratory and colony missions, bodyguards for the clergy, and any other role where martial skill is required. Inquisitor: Tabaxi inquisitors are almost universally concerned with one task - maintaining order, specifically the castes, of the empire. To that imperative, all other concerns are secondary, though they still exist. Almost entirely populated by the black furred soldier caste, tabaxi who show iron will and skills in investigation and detecting falsehood are inducted into the clergy to learn the skills and powers of the inquisitions. Magus: A recent occurrence thanks to the introduction of dwarven and human arcane study, tabaxi maguses are almost universally those from the black furred soldier caste. Taken from those who during military training show arcane aptitude, these tabaxi combine martial and arcane training for use in the military. Less commonly, cloud caste tabaxi who are always arcane students bolster their training with self-taught martial skills. Monk: Similar to the arcane arts, monastic orders were unknown in Tabax’tilac. At the same time as the empire was recruiting foreign teachers and constructing their own universities, a small number of elven and other monasteries were approached to build schools of their own in the archipelago. Some agreed, and a small number of schools led by foreign teachers teach tabaxi students the martial arts and philosophies of the different orders. Oracle: Prior to the unification of the tabaxi tribes, tabaxi oracles usually held positions of power within individual tribes, guiding their fellows as their powers and patrons wish. Now with the ascendence of the cleric-led Tabax’tilac empire, those oracles who remain are split into two groups - those who fit within the existing hierarchy, and those who do not. Those oracles whose gifts stem from within the tabaxi pantheon are taken into the clergy, regardless of caste, and brought up as divinely chosen priests. Those whose gifts do not come from approved sources are now driven out or put to death - those who find themselves outside of Tabax’tilac in the lands of the other races often strike out in order to make it on their own. Paladin: Taken from those of the priest caste who show martial aptitude or interest, tabaxi paladins are the top of the military hierarchy. Leading the legions of the soldier castes, tabaxi paladins usually take up command roles similar to their priest-caste brethren. However, while being very rare, there are those few tabaxi who live amongst the other races who join foreign churches, even becoming paladins of these other faiths as a result. Ranger: The scouts and watchers of Tabax’tilac, the rangers of Tabax’tilac come from the members of the cloud caste. At home, these rangers watch and guard the wild expanses of the archipelago, and assist the tabaxi inquisitors with hunting down the enemies of the empire from within. However, many tabaxi rangers leave the homelands as part of the foreign missions, where their skills are often integral to the success of exploratory and colonial objectives. Rogue: Similar to bards and rangers, most tabaxi rogues come from the cloud caste. Unlike the bards and rangers, these are generally those who show aptitude for problem solving and “thinking outside the box” - those tabaxi willing to bend, break, or go around the rules in order to find solutions. “Official” tabaxi rogues often find themselves being employed by the priest caste as problem solvers of varying reputation. The other type of tabaxi rogues are those natural criminals in tabaxi society. Those rogues who do survive for any length of time are those able to hide their proclivities well, or those who leave tabaxi society entirely. Sorcerer: Prior to contact with the other races of Chimyrr, sorcerers were the empire’s main source of arcane magic. Due to the nature of this power being inherent in bloodlines and inheritance, the priest caste did what it could to keep occurrences of sorcerous blood within appropriate castes - however, any time arcane power became apparent, it was utilised. Now that formal arcane study is available to the tabaxi, this control is not as required as it once was. The occurrence of sorcerous power is one of the very few ways an individual can transcend caste - once a sorcerer’s skills and aptitudes are identified, they are put to work where their magic can best serve the empire, regardless of how they were born. Summoner: Like tabaxi wizards, tabaxi summoners are a recent development for the empire. Taken from those already engaged in arcane study who show aptitude for planar topics, tabaxi summoners often manifest eidolons who resemble tabaxi myth and legend. Most summoners find themselves assisting the priest caste with planar related matters, or associated with the military for them and their eidolon’s combat prowess. Witch: Witches have always been a rarity in tabaxi society. That their powers are gifted via an unknown patron has always been viewed with suspicion, with the rise of the empire this suspicion has gotten worse. The few tabaxi witches that do exists almost invariable live in the lands of the other races, finding acceptance or at least being ignored by the foreigners. Wizard: The structured study of arcane magic that produces wizards was all but unknown in the tabaxi empire prior to their contact with the other races of Chimyrr. Once peaceful relations were established with humans and dwarves, the empire put resources into building arcane schools of their own, shipping dwarven and human wizards to the archipelago to staff these academies. As a result, the majority of tabaxi wizards are cloud caste alumni from these temple-city institutions, with a small number now coming from study direct in dwarven or human universities. Category:Races